Born in Birmingham in 1835, he seems to have developed his style in watercolours after he went to Australia in 1853 where he became a photographer in Melbourne. Later he went to America until he returned to England in 1880 and died in London in 1907. He exhibired widely, including at the RA. Perhaps reflecting his career, his pictures have an almost photographic quality. Notice how much detail is in this picture. Unlike many pictures of the time it is not particularly 'cute' and rather reflects a sense of poverty (the boy is probably eating bread and weak tea).

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

[Edwin Long - The Palace Guard]oil on canvasIn The Palace Guard a maidservant leans languidly against an intricately-ornamented wall while observing a palace sentry drinking coffee. The painting exemplifies Long's mastery at painting textures and surfaces, from the textiles and embroidery, to the incised metals and gleaming tiles.Born in Bath, Edwin Long studied at the Royal Academy from 1849, and was a student under John Phillip. The latter encouraged his penchant for travel, and Long began his life-long search for exotic subjects in Spain, visiting the country regularly between 1857-73. In 1874 he visited Egypt and Syria, which ignited his career as an Orientalist painter..3 Jun 09, 10:30 AMLondonhttp://www.sothebys.com/app/paddleReg/paddlereg.do?dispatch=eventDetails&event_id=29178

McCloy was an Irish painter born in Lisburn in 1831. He taught at the Waterford School of Art after serving an apprenticeship as an engraver. He then came to England and started exhibiting here after about 1875. He only exhibited one picture at the RA but was exhibited elsewhere. He specialised in figurative, genre and flower subjects.

A painting that was given to a landlord 100 years ago to pay for the rent on a property has just made back that amount and much more, after selling at auction for over £250,000 ($366,000).The beautiful landscape named ‘Autumn Afterglow’ was painted by John Atkinson Grimshaw, the renowned Victorian painter who was well known for his landscapes and city scenes.“I was very excited by this painting because of its quality and because it was so fresh to the market for the first time in 116 years, having been in the same family for generations, but I was still surprised by the price it fetched,” Richard Hopkinson, the auctioneer at London’s Bonhams where the painting was sold, said.The painting was originally given to Councillor William Metcalf in place of rent, back in the 1880’s.

A watercolour artist. He became an artist after his parents decided it was the only career open to him after he was born crippled in the legs. He trained under John Varley. He painted landscapes but seems to have preferred rustic scenes like this one. Notice the care with which each object is painted and how relaxed the girl is.

£6.5mWyck Place in Alton (London 50 miles) looks like a castle from certain angles and a Queen Anne house from others – and hasn’t appeared on the open market for 200 years. A fascinating example of Victorian style, with gigantic reception rooms, seven bedrooms and a tower. There are two staff houses, a lake, formal gardens, a tennis court and nearly 40 acres. Strutt & Parker: 020 7629 7282.

Born in Prussia in 1835, in his early 20's he came to Britain and settled in Edinburgh where he worked as a lithographer. He also painted in both oils and watercolours and became well known for his landscapes and genre subjects. He exhibited at the RA and elsewhere but especially in Scottish galleries. This watercolour was of a Scottish beach with the two girls carrying a basket of shellfish and the jolly baby. Notice the very 'moody' cloudscape and small details like the shellfish are covered with seaweed to keep it fresh. The short shadow indicates a morning scene.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Born in London and trained at the RA Schools, he exhibited at the RA from 1877 till 1897 showing historical and genre subjects in watercolour. Also worked as an illustrator. He moved to Surrey in 1892 painting riverside walks and woodland walks. He died in Marlow-on-Thames in 1920.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

A watercolourist working in the style of Birket Foster and William Henry Hunt. Daughter of Thomas Herbert Maguire a historical painter and her sister Adelaide Agnes was known for her genre and flower paintings. Helena exhibited at the RA but never became very well known. She illustrated a number of children's books.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Hardly known yet a good watercolour artist, King exhibited widely, including at the RA and with her sister Elizabeth Thomson King is known to have lived in London, Newbury and Florence. Both painted landscapes and figurative subjects. Althugh sweet to modern tastes the handling of the figures and trees shows a good technique and Chinese White is used on the dress (first put on the market by Winsor & Newton in 1834). No doubt the subject was inspired by the poem 'Mary had a Litttle Lamb'.

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A blog on my love of Victorian and Edwardian paintings. Please note over 70,000 painters of this period, many very obscure, have been identified and this blog concentrates on those that have come up for auction in the last ten years or so. It is mainly compiled using old auction catalogues with help from the many reference books I own.

It includes painters born in the late 19th century who have painted well into the 20th. I make no pretence that my reproductions are technically accurate but are intended to show the style of the artist.

I rarely know who these paintings were sold to or the price they fetched. I recommend Artnet.com (a subscription service) to those for whom this is important. I am not in the Art trade, just an interested amateur who loves the arts of this period.